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Story
March 16, 1954
The Key West Citizen
Key West, Monroe County, Florida
What is this article about?
Kentucky's undefeated Wildcats, with a 25-0 record, topped the AP college basketball poll voted by sports writers, despite skipping tournaments. Indiana second; rankings shuffled by NIT and NCAA outcomes, with Holy Cross third after NIT win and Penn State jumping to ninth.
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By Rip Watson
NEW YORK (AP)-Kentucky's undefeated basketball team, which passed up tournament play, was voted the best college team in the nation today by sports writers and sportscasters participating in the next-to-last Associated Press weekly poll.
The Wildcats, who closed their season by beating Louisiana State for the Southeastern Conference title were given the No. 1 spot on 47 of the 70 ballots. Kentucky finished with a 25-0 record, the first perfect mark since Army's in 1944.
Indiana held second place despite an upset loss to Notre Dame, with 420 points to Kentucky's 574 on a basis of 10 for first, nine for second, and so forth. Following in order were Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Duquesne, La Salle, George Washington, Western Kentucky, Penn State and Oklahoma A&M.
Below the top two, however, the standings received a thorough juggling as the voters considered the results of the National Collegiate Championships and the National Invitation Tournament.
Holy Cross, which won the NIT by upsetting first Western Kentucky and then Duquesne, vaulted six places into the No. 3 position. La Salle, the current choice to grab the NCAA championship, also climbed six places, to the No. 6 spot, although its tournament victories were hardly upsets.
But the big surprise in the poll was Penn State, which had not gotten as many as 10 points all season. The Nittany Lions leaped right into the top 10, taking over No. 9 place after startling victory over Louisiana State and Notre Dame.
Southern California and Bradley, the other NCAA semifinalists with La Salle and Penn State, landed just outside the top 10 with the Trojans 11th and Bradley 12th.
Both teams previously had been lost among the also-rans.
Compensating for these leaps and bounds, Oklahoma A&M plunged five places to 10th after its Bradley loss; Duquesne dropped two places to No. 5; Western Kentucky slipped four to No. 8; and Louisiana State and North Carolina State fell all the way out of the top 10.
Notre Dame went up two notches, to fourth, as the voters apparently figured the Indiana upset more than outweighed the Irish loss to Penn State the following night. George Washington retained the No. 7 notch even though their only action since the last poll was a loss to North Carolina State.
The leading teams (first-place votes in parentheses):
1. Kentucky (47) 574
2. Indiana (3) 420
3. Holy Cross (11) 389
4. Notre Dame (1) 375
5. Duquesne 331
6. La Salle (2) 317
7. George Washington (2) 270
8. Western Kentucky 209
9. Penn State 143
10. Oklahoma A&M (1) 125
11. USC (1) 120
12. Bradley 99
13. Louisiana State 89
14. Maryland 73
15. Iowa (2) 56
16. Duke 45
17. Navy 43
18. N. C. State 40
19. Kansas 34
20. Niagara 33
NEW YORK (AP)-Kentucky's undefeated basketball team, which passed up tournament play, was voted the best college team in the nation today by sports writers and sportscasters participating in the next-to-last Associated Press weekly poll.
The Wildcats, who closed their season by beating Louisiana State for the Southeastern Conference title were given the No. 1 spot on 47 of the 70 ballots. Kentucky finished with a 25-0 record, the first perfect mark since Army's in 1944.
Indiana held second place despite an upset loss to Notre Dame, with 420 points to Kentucky's 574 on a basis of 10 for first, nine for second, and so forth. Following in order were Holy Cross, Notre Dame, Duquesne, La Salle, George Washington, Western Kentucky, Penn State and Oklahoma A&M.
Below the top two, however, the standings received a thorough juggling as the voters considered the results of the National Collegiate Championships and the National Invitation Tournament.
Holy Cross, which won the NIT by upsetting first Western Kentucky and then Duquesne, vaulted six places into the No. 3 position. La Salle, the current choice to grab the NCAA championship, also climbed six places, to the No. 6 spot, although its tournament victories were hardly upsets.
But the big surprise in the poll was Penn State, which had not gotten as many as 10 points all season. The Nittany Lions leaped right into the top 10, taking over No. 9 place after startling victory over Louisiana State and Notre Dame.
Southern California and Bradley, the other NCAA semifinalists with La Salle and Penn State, landed just outside the top 10 with the Trojans 11th and Bradley 12th.
Both teams previously had been lost among the also-rans.
Compensating for these leaps and bounds, Oklahoma A&M plunged five places to 10th after its Bradley loss; Duquesne dropped two places to No. 5; Western Kentucky slipped four to No. 8; and Louisiana State and North Carolina State fell all the way out of the top 10.
Notre Dame went up two notches, to fourth, as the voters apparently figured the Indiana upset more than outweighed the Irish loss to Penn State the following night. George Washington retained the No. 7 notch even though their only action since the last poll was a loss to North Carolina State.
The leading teams (first-place votes in parentheses):
1. Kentucky (47) 574
2. Indiana (3) 420
3. Holy Cross (11) 389
4. Notre Dame (1) 375
5. Duquesne 331
6. La Salle (2) 317
7. George Washington (2) 270
8. Western Kentucky 209
9. Penn State 143
10. Oklahoma A&M (1) 125
11. USC (1) 120
12. Bradley 99
13. Louisiana State 89
14. Maryland 73
15. Iowa (2) 56
16. Duke 45
17. Navy 43
18. N. C. State 40
19. Kansas 34
20. Niagara 33
What sub-type of article is it?
Sports Ranking
College Basketball Poll
What themes does it cover?
Triumph
Misfortune
What keywords are associated?
Kentucky Wildcats
Ap Poll
College Basketball
Undefeated Season
Nit
Ncaa
Penn State
Holy Cross
Where did it happen?
New York
Story Details
Location
New York
Story Details
Kentucky Wildcats voted No. 1 in AP poll with 25-0 record despite no tournaments; Indiana second; Holy Cross third after NIT win; Penn State surges to ninth after upsets; other teams rise or fall based on tournament results.